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How to change the motor oil in your vehicle
How to change your vehicles motor oil Periodically replacing the motor oil in a vehicle is a vital part of proper car maintenance. Since motor oil breaks down over time, if the motor oil in a vehicle is not regularly replaced the oil becomes less effective at both lubricating the engine and absorbing heat. This loss in effectiveness will eventually cause engine components to wear and warping destroying the engine. The frequency that you should change their oil at depends upon a number of factors, but primarily upon the type of oil that is used. What motor oil should you use? There are two categories of motor oil, which are general and high mileage. Within general motor oil, there are three types of oil: conventional, synthetic blend, and full synthetic motor oil. When determining the “best oil” it a choice every motorist must make independently. Conventional motor oil is the most commonly used type of oil and is good for any type of vehicle. Conventional motor oil also the least expensive and so it should come as no surprise that it also has the least number of benefits for a vehicle’s engine. However, that does not mean that it is a poor choice for most cars as it adequately protect most engines. This type of oil should be changed every 3,000 miles. For motorists that care about upfront costs and do not mind more frequent oil changes, conventional motor oil is likely the right choice for them. Synthetic blend motor oil is another option that is becoming more popular with motorists as the oil contains the benefits of full synthetic and conventional oil. Synthetic blend oil contains the additives found in full synthetic the full cost cost of full synthetic oil. Thanks to these additives, this type of oil doesn’t need to be replaced as often as conventional oil and should be replaced every 5,000 miles. For motorists looking for the good performance that won’t burn a hole in their pockets this is likely the right choice for them. Full synthetic motor oil is the most expensive type of motor oil on the market and is ideal for high performance vehicles. This type of oil has the greatest percentage of additives and thus provides the greatest amount of benefit to motorists including, wear resistance, oxidation resistance, and wonderful performance in extreme temperatures. This type of oil also lasts the longest only needing to be replaced every 10,000 miles. For those who want the most out of their vehicles, or those that hate replacing their oil, this is likely the motor oil for them. While general motor oil is a good option for all manner of vehicles, in the case of an older vehicle (one with more than 75,000 miles on it) motorists should use a high mileage category of motor oil. This type of oil can be bought as a synthetic blend or as a full synthetic motor oil. While these options are more expensive than their general counterparts, they are also designed to best satisfy the needs of cars that have been around the block a few times and contains several additives to prevent the types of degradation commonly found in older vehicles. How do you pick an oil filter? Part of changing your vehicles motor oil is to also change your oil filter. When determining which oil filter to use in your vehicle, it is important to remember that bigger oil filters do not ensure better filtration. Each make and model of vehicle have a wide range of filters available and there are too many options to be properly discussed in this article. A good rule of thumb is to pick an oil filter that will last as long as your motor oil. This allows you to replace both at the same time making it easier to remember to change your filter. How do you change the motor oil in the car? Once you have determined what type of motor oil is best for you, and which air filter you want to use it is time to replace the old oil and filter. The first step for replacing your vehicles motor oil is to drain the old motor oil in your vehicle. To accomplish this task you will need an oil drain pan, a wrench, a rag, latex gloves, a headlamp, a funnel, and jacks if your vehicle sits too low for you to crawl under it. Once you have gathered your tools dawn your headlamp and get underneath you vehicle. Once under the vehicle locate the oil drain plug on the oil pan. As the example below shows, the oil drain plug should look like a nut. Once this plug has been located, place the oil drain pan below it, put on your latex gloves, and use the wrench to remove the plug. Once the plug has been removed motor oil will start to pour out quickly and will likely cover your hand and this is either why you are wearing gloves, or are about to clean them with the rag. While the motor oil is draining crawl out from under the vehicle and open the oil filler cap to help the old motor oil drain. As the oil continues to drain, determine if the oil filter for your vehicle is on the top or bottom side of your engine. This will depend on the model of the vehicle. This information can be found in the owner’s manual…or with a quick internet search. The example below shows what the oil filter in your vehicle may look like. Once you have determined where your oil filter is, remove it carefully and place it in a plastic bag or some other convenient containment unit. Since the filter has motor oil in it try not to spill any! Once the filter has been removed, check around the opening and remove any pieces of the filters rubber seal that may still linger. Now take the new motor oil filter, the new bottle of motor oil, and use a finger to smear oil around the rubber seal of the filter. This will make it easier to put the new oil filter into position. Once all of the old oil has drained from the vehicle it’s time to put the new oil filter in position. If you haven’t already crawled under the car do so now and clean the area around the oil drain plug. Once the oil drain plug area is clean, tighten the plug back into place. Congratulate yourself on a job almost completed and get back to work. Now that the oil drain plug is back in position it is time to add the new oil to your vehicle. Look in your owner’s manual (or the internet) to find out how much motor oil your vehicle needs. Then use the funnel to ensure that none of the oil spills as you pour in the amount that’s needed. Once the new oil has been added put the oil cap back in place and start the vehicle. Placing the vehicle in neutral, look under the car for a minute and make sure that there are no leaks. After that shut off the engine and wait five minutes for the engine to cool down. When the motor has cooled, check the oil level on the dipstick and make sure that it reads full. If the dipstick reads full remove you have successfully changed your vehicle’s oil! If not you may need to add a small amount of motor oil and check repeatedly until the dipstick reads full. Once you have completed the oil change, it is time to handle the cleanup. Remove the oil drain pan from under the car and pour the old motor oil into a contain to dispose of it along with the old oil filter. Category:Life Tips